Apparatus for printing and testing cinematograph-films.



A. C. REMINGTON. APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND TESTING CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-22,1915- Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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A. C. REMINGTON.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND TESTING CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.22. I915.

Patenteu Dec. 10, 1918.

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1,287,436. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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iiorney A. C. REMINGTON. APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND TESTING CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC.22,'I9I5.

1,287,436. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

A. C. REMINGTON. APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND TESTING CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC 22, 1915- I Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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f from by varying mechanicalmeans in a predetermined for testing each section nmrnnsrncras PATENT orricn.

ALFRED O. REMINGTQN, OI'BICHMOND,ENGLANDfASSIGHOB OF ONE- HALF T0 RALPH 'IDBWSBU'B'Y, 0F ST.""MARGABETS, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PB IRTI-NG LND TESTING CINEHATOGBAPH-FILMS.

- Applicationflled December 22, 1915 Serial No. 68,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, CnoiL Bitm- INGTON, a subject of the King of GreatBrit- .ain, residin at 4:Old Palace Lane, Richmond, int e county OLSurrey, England, have invented new anduserul Improvements in Apparatus for Printing. and Testing 'Ginematograph-Films, of which the following is a specification.

"The present invention relates to'the manufacture of films and'li-ke'positives articularly for. cinematograph display. n practice a number of.positive films are'printe from a singlene ative film which latter is often made u o 'difierent sections varying considerably 1n density.

It is obviously necessary to give different exposures to sections of difierent-"desity .in making a satisfactory positive film. Hitherto this "has beenlarge y a matter oigguesswork requiring expert treatment, and there has'been no guarantee'thatof a number ofpositives mad -'from one negative. any two will of necessitybe substantially identical.

The main purpose of the present invention is to enable any number of. ositive films to be produced of different portions densities, all (ifthe positives being substantially identica One object of the invention is an apparatus for printing from a negative film o varying density, .whi ha paratus insures that each section ofthe l lm. shall receive exactly the same exposure when making all the positive films from it. Another main objectof the invention comprises apparatus I of film in respect to its density, with a view to determining the best exposure to be used when printing that-section of film. J

In brief, therefore, the presentinvention provides a' method of testin a negative'film and printing ,a plurality o positives therethe effective. exposure by iashthe film isgiven y. fioundto lee-approintervention of a'skilled of d'fierent ion, so that each section of the exposure .preyio priate withoutany operator.

:More particularly defined the invention comprisesrneans controlled or actuated by thefilm or its .iorwarding mechanism for automatically changing the exposure, tor ex- Specification of Letters Patent.

. film in order the source from a negative consisting particular position o Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

ample, by changing the intensity of light to which the section of film is subjected upon the commencement of printing a fresh section and therefore a section of different densitg1 of the negative i A rther object of prises a machine in which is combined mechanism for rapidly testing the negative to determine the proper exposure which each section requires, and also apparatus for mechanically varying the 'exposure in the manner found desirable as the film is conducted past the point at which printing takes place. Y n

In more precise terms the apparatus for determining the requisite exposure for a certain section of negative film consists of apparatus for taking a number of prints from a section of the film, a convenient number may be twelve, and of theseprints each one is given a different exposure om the Theefi'ectiveexposure is most convenv'aried by alterin the brightness of of, light emp oyed, if this is an electric lamp by inserting resistances in series wit it. The mechanism when started automatically forwards a positive film or other sensitive printing surface in twelve steps past the section of negative to be tested, and at each movement'automatically varies the resistance in the circuit of. the illuminating 1am The forwarding mechanism is automatically stoppedon the completion of the set of prints. -'lhe twelve;prints-are then developed and the best exposure is judged from the result. More definitely defined the printing apparatus proper for printing complete positive films comprises means for forwarding thenegative and positive films together past a suitable source of illumination, an also includes a device controlled or actuated by the film or its forwarding mechanism for altering the eX'posure,-for example by altering the brightness of the source of light as each section which makes up the negative film comes to the point at which printing takes place. In accordance with the invention thisdevice-is preferably a rotary drum or disk bearing contact studs which in a i the disk contact with the invention com.-

iently one of a line of brushes connected through amounts of resistance into the circuit oi the electric lamp providing the source of illumination. Each stud is put into an appropriate position to contact with a brush of prints have been taken, the belt shifter 12 y means of which t e appropriate amount by iWhlCh the belt is moved from the loose of resistance for the particular section of to the fast pulley is drawn by a spring 13 tofilm corresponding to the stud will be 1nward the loose pulley and has means for reserted into the lamp circuit. This device is taming it. on the fast pulley until a cycle 71 rotated, or its rotation controlled, by the of operations is completed. A rod 14 attraveling film, for instance by means of an tached to and reciprocating with the belt escapement actuated electromagneticall' by shifter has an upstanding catch 15 in posia contact operated by the film WhlCll a1 ows tion to engage a corresponding catch 16 the device to turn under the action of a formed on the armature 17 of an electro- 75 spring. magnet '18. The winding of this electro- The invention further consists in the demagnet is connected with a source of supply tails and combination, of parts hereinafter 9 across two end contacts 20'of the'suir described in relation to the annexed drawflower switch 1, 2, h t t are ings. bridged by the-switch arm at the end of its 80 In these drawings an embodiment f the rotation, and consequently theelectromagnet in nti n comprislng a combined testing an is excited and the belt shifter released. printing machlne 1s illustrated as follows It will be seen that the apparatus thus far igure 1 is a general View of the testing described affords a ready means of taking and printing apparatus. from each section of the negative film twelve 85 Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electrical c1rints ifi'ering from each other in exposure. cuits involved. hese are developed, and compared, and so Fig. 3 shows the means f varylng P for each section of film the best exposure is sure'during testing. determined; or in other words the best re- F lgs- 4, 5 and 6 Sh the mechfmislll slstance to be put in the lamp circuit durin 90 I varying the exposure d ring prin ing, in printing from that particular section of film elevation, side elevation and perspective rei di ov r d, It; remains t id f 'spectively, the record disk being removed these different resistances being inserted in in Fig. 6. I Fig. 7 shows the contact device by whlc The apparatus for printing complete posi- 95 the film controls the mechanism of Figs. 4., tive films comprises any usual mechanism 5 and for forwarding the negative and positive Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are details of the mechafilms", together, in steps, past a printing nism'of Figs. 4, 5 and 6. point. A large portion of the mechanism Fig. 11'is an end-view and Fig. 12 a lonmay of course be common to the testing and 1 gitu inal vieW of a modified form of filmprinting apparatus. So may the lamp 4, controlled contact member; and which by means of the ewitches21, 22 can Fig. 13 shows a modlfied Con act d lc be removed from the cucuit of the sunflower on the film. switch 1, 2 and put into the circuit of the The central part of the testing mechanism contact device next to be described. 105

1s asunflower switch, consistlng of an arm his contact device conslsts of a disk 23 1 rotating over a circle of contacts 2. Most having ratchet teeth upon it, or-a ratchet of. t ese contacts, in this case twelv are wheel on its arbor. In the diskare radial joined to the segments of a resistance 3. A rows of perforations 24, threaded to receive varying portion .of this resistance is ncontact studs. Adjacent to the disk is a row 110 clu'ded by the switch in the circuit of an mof brushes 25, each held a short distance candescent are or other electric lamp 4 Which from the surface of the disk by its spring 26 forms the source of light for printing. The through which it is joined to a terminal arm 1 is driven with the positive film which .screw 26 in turn connected to one of the is forwarded step,by step W1th a Section of tappings 33 of the resistance 3 or of a 115 the negative film past the printlng point by similar 'rheostat by means of connecting any usual mechanism. In Fig. 1 the films wires a, a -a. The details of the brushes are forwarded together through the gate 45 and their support may be seen from Figs. 8,

' y the arms 46 drlv'en by the gearing shown. 9 and 10.

The driving shaft for the positive film for- The disk 23 is rotated by a s ring 27 up n 120 warding mechanism is represented by 5, and its arbor, the movement being checked by a carries a loose pulley 6 and'a fast pulley 7. regulable dash pot 28 geared to the disk by Upon this shaft or another geared to it is a toothed se ment and pinion 29, 30, while an eccentric 8, the eccentric rod 9, of which it is controlled by an escapement. 31. This is formed at its end as a pawl engaging a escapement is attached to' the armature of ratchet wheel 10 on the spindle of the arm 1. an electromagnet 32, which is connected The pawl is kept engaged with the ratchet across a sourceof supply 33 through a fixed 1, contact 34 an a contact spring 35. The In order that the mechanism may cometo contact spring rests on one or other of two rest automatically when the desired number push rods 36, hing d to a pivoted lever 37,

ma'tically switched off -m 'the gate Which'I-carriesat its end a wheel- 38 pressed bythe spring 39 nponthe edge of the negativefilm 'eessed at intervals corresponding toits sections as at '41.

40. The edge of the film is re- For eachzsection-of negative'film there is a rowof perforations 24 in the disk23. contact stud is inserted in each row in position to engage the brush 25 which will insert in' thecircuit'of the lamp 4 the appropriate amount of resistance for the section of in question as determine testing device just described. Onthe fi lm beingmoved,as each recess'41 comes opp}?- site the roller 38 the lever 37 is rocked lower rod .36 is withdrawn so that contact "is madebetween-the'sprmg'35 and screw 34;

In order rod 36' to and thus breakthe circuit.

It will be understood that the invention I isnot limited to'the precise mechanism denegative film to be scribed; for instance the disk 23 could be replaced by adrum 42 (see Figs. 11 and 12), which could be'actually rotated by an electromagnet the by the in Fig.7 or by means of metal clips 43 on the film see Fig. 13 and'so forth, linesof -contact'44- replacing the radial lines of con- .tact studs placed in the perforations in the -disk 23; and this applied equally to both the testing and the'printing mechanism.

Thereare' two distinct stages in the operation of the device. The density of the printed is first tested. In fact, a separate testhas to be made for each section of the negative film comprising the difl'erent scenes. The positive film 1s placed the'-gate--45-with a length of negative film to be tested; the switch 21 is closed, and the switch 22 is opened. The belt shifter 14 is moved until the belt is on the fast pulley 7 as shown in Fig. 2, thus con necting the driving mechanism of the feed to the external source of power. By this means the positive and negative films are forwarded as usual together in steps and in unison with the movements of the positive and negative film through the gate 45 the arm 1 is driven by the machine so that one picture is printed while the arm 1 is on each of the contact studs 2. When the arm finally bridges the studs 20, the'belt shifter 14 is released and the testing part ofthe ma- -with increasing light a d by the.

47 the continued movement ofthe switch'22 the*roller'-38 causes the upper push outwardly theblade spring circuit of which is controlled film' either in the manner indicated combination of a variabl chine-comes "to rest. 'The circuit for this testing operation is from one of the main supply wires, through the source of illumination 4, throu h'the switch 21, through the sunflower switc 1, 2, and through a varying number-of sections'of the rheostat 3 to the opposite main supply wire.. By this means twelve successive exposures are made from the source 4 When the strip of positive film is developed it is easv to recognize at once which picture hasreeeived the correct exposure. repeated for all the sections-of negative of different density, and the erposuresso -determined are given to each section of negative film, when that section is printed in the following manner.

,The no tive and positive films are passed through t e gate 45 in the ordinary way for printing and the contact disk 23 is supplied with studs so that as each radial row .of studs contacts with the brushes 25 the necessary sections of the rheostat '3 for giving successive scenes in the film the correct exposure are inserted in the circuit of the lam 4. The switch'21 is therefore opened an started. Wh film is reached the notch 41- enables the disk 23 to be rotated one step and-the correct'sections of the resistance 3' are switched in" for the nest section-of film andso on. During the printing operation the following isthe circuit: From one of the main suppl wires, through the lamp4, switch 22, dis 23,-a

stud in one of the perforations 24, one-of the brushes 25, one of the wires a' -a, through the requiste number of sections of the rhe0stat3', back to the other main supply wire. By this means each section of positive film correspondin to a particular section of negative film obtains its correct exposure.

What I claim is: 1. A-machine 'iforand for printing from a 'negative 'film to produce a plura ity of substantially perfect and identical positives, consisting in: the e source of illumination, means for forwarding'the negative film and the positive film-throughjthe-mashine, means in operative connection with said forwarding means for mechanically varying the source of illumination at eacn step during testing and mechanism operated by the negative film during rinting for insurin that each section 0 negative m shall receive the appropriate durinlg this period.

2. n apparatus for rapidly determining a suitable exppsure for rmting a section of film, the com ination 0 step by step mech nism for forwardin% a positive film and the section of negative 1m to be tested past an aperture gate, means for effecting an exposure through said aperture after each fortesting the -density of 'llumi'nation "vice in the operative position agalnst the ac 8,

- stat connected in the circuit bf the source of 30 warding movement, means for mechanicall varying the effect of said exposure at eac step, and means for disconnecting the drive to said forwarding mechanism and'said exposing means after the completion of a predetermined number of exposures. V

3. In apparatus for print-in from a neg tive film, the combination 0 a source of illumination for said film of variable intensity, a rotary device adapted to varythe intensity of said soiirce'of illumination as it turns, and means controlled in accordance ps past a printing point, a source of light illuminating said printing point, a rotating contact making device included in the circuit of the source of light, means controlled in accordance with the forward motion of the film for controlling Said contact making device, a rheostat provided with tapp ngs, contacts in connection with said tapwith the forward motion of the film for in t e path inorder to contact w1th a roturning the rotary devlce step by step as .1 prlate members of sald contacts connected to printing the rheostat tappin fresh section of 'film passes the t, Apparatus forvdeterminin the necessary exposure'for ing in combination of a film printing hme, an electric lamp for roviding illumination for said machme, a, efinite source of electric supply for said lamp, a rheostat, and

a mechani y operated switch f 4-. In apparatus for tmting the density of a negative film, the combination of means film in step by 4 means for illuminating said section of negative film, a' clutch device adapted to put said drivmg means into operation, esired portions of said rheostat 1n series spring means tending to with aw said with said lamp and said source of supply clutch device, a catch holding said clutch deafter each exposure.

In a machine for printing a negative film, the combination of'mechamsm for fortogether with a tion of said sp a sunflower switch in step by step fashion before drlven by the film drlvlng means, a rheo warding sald negative film positive film 1 ummation with 1ts sections connected to or exposing said film through said shutterin said aperture conexposure of said film, electrica ower switch in order to release the re,- taining catch of said clutch device.

varying the effective exposure In a film testing and printlng ap uponsaid film, a series ofv contact brushes in paratus,

means for rapidly vtesting the denslty of the device, a source sections of a fi a selector of illumination for prmtmg, ing the intens' ative connectlon with said selecto ries of contact studs for msertion 1n said and means controlled in accordance perforations in order to 'co-act with said forwar motion of the film actl contact brushes and produce the n cessary device so that as a fr i passes the printing. p device suitably varies the printing illumination.

' printing apparatus, :the comtcstlmony whereof I have signed my 'nameto-this specification.

A. C. REMINGTON.-

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